Basic Copywriting Tricks That All Marketers Must Know By Kenneth

Personally, I think copywriting skill is something every marketer should learn. I know some people may disagree and they prefer to outsource copywriting. It’s probably the right thing to do if you have the budget. But if you are just starting out, it is better to know how to do it yourself.

Below are some basic copywriting tricks that you can use. Keep this page handy. Whenever you need to write a sales copy, just come back here to check if you’ve done these tricks.

1) Use An Action Button That Invoke Imagination

Most action buttons use words like “Submit Now”, “Subscribe Now”, “Send Now”, “Sign Up Now” or “Buy Now”. You see them being used in mega sites like Amazon, Ebay etc. But in copywriting, we don’t use these words. The experts say they have done the tests (honestly I haven’t, I merely follow what they say and so far it’s been working). These are the words to be used in an action button:

- Get Your Instant Access Now

- Download Now

- I Want The Report Now

- Show Me The Money

Generally you want to use words that invoke imagination and expectation. You want them to form a mental picture of what they can look forward to if they click the button. This way, it will make them feel that they are missing out on something if they don’t click!

2) Use The Power Of Subheadlines

If you are writing a sales letter instead of a squeeze page, it is important to break the paragraphs into subheadlines.

Studies have shown that people don’t read a sales letter from head to toe. Instead, they will just scan through. In the process of scanning, they are likely to read the subheadlines. They will only read the rest of the content if they find it interesting.

The subheadlines serve two purposes:

I) They must arouse people’s curiosity so that they will read the details.

II) They are like the content page of a book. By simply reading all the subheadline from head to toe, it should give the reader a brief idea of what the sales letter is talking about.

When your sales letter is completed, do this: Read only the headline and subheadlines from the top to bottom of the letter. Then ask yourself if you see a logical flow in the sales letter. If you do, you have more or less served Purpose II. Next, look at each subheadline and see how you can make it more intriguing, so as to serve Purpose I.

3) Use The Power Of Subheadlines Again

Testimonials is a must in a sales letter. The more the merrier. But overwhelming a sales letter with testimonials isn’t the right way to do it.

Again, the trick is to use subheadlines. What you can do is take a short phrase from the testimonial and use it as a subheadline for that testimonial.

People are not likely to read all the testimonials. By using subheadlines, they are more likely to get the gist of the testimonials and hence form a better impression of your product.

4) Use Words That Gain Attention

Some words are more likely to gain people’s attention. In a long sales letter, it is important to use these words throughout the letter to encourage the readers to read on.

Here’s a list of such words

- Imagine …

- Imagine this. …

- Can you imagine …

- You see, …

- Now, …

- Look, …

- Simple isn’t it?

- You’re probably thinking, “…….”

- Ok, …

- Wait! …

- Yes! …

5) KISS (Keep It Short And Simple)

I know, the experts have been saying that long sales letters sell better. But we also know that people don’t like to read.

A good sales letter is long because it has to include many things, such as testimonials, product benefits, how it works etc. It is not long for the sake of being draggy and beating around the bush.

It is your job to keep the sales letter short, yet still provide enough information to build prospects’ confidence in your product.

Here are some good practice to make a long sales letter short and simple.

- Avoid very long sentence. As a rule of thumb, if a sentence can be split into two sentences, do it.

- Vary between short and long sentences.

- Use short paragraphs. A paragraph can be as short as 1 sentence! Paragraphs with 3 or more sentences are considered long.

- Use active voice instead of passive voice.

- Use simple vocabulary and sentence construction that even a kid can understand.

- Write as if you are talking to them. Forget about those essay writing skills taught in school.

Copywriting is not rocket science. With some simple tricks, you too can write an effective sales letter like the pros. BlogLinks

Regards, AffiLinks